Public Health in Gilbert, AZ

Craig Beirdneau

Public Health Trends

Maricopa County, Arizona

I decided to do 5 public health trends in the communicable diseases in Maricopa County (Gilbert, AZ).

#5 on the list with 1,128 reported cases is genital herpes

It was very interesting to find out that this was one of the main communicable disease s that my hometown was facing. The most startling fact about this is that most people do not even know that they have genital herpes. Genital herpes cannot be cured. This is a very disturbing statistic but I feel blessed that this will no longer be a problem for me as long as I am living the commandments.

#4 on the list with 1,718 reported cases is RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus

I did not know anything about this or have heard anything about it before this assignment. Most infants have had this disease by the time they were 2 years old. This seems like it is a very common disease and it is easily passed from one person to another. You can get it if someone sneezes, coughs, blows their nose near you, touch, kiss, shake hands, or touch something that is contaminated with RSV.

#3 on the list with 2,290 reported cases is gonorrhea

Three out of the top five communicable diseases in my hometown are sexually transmitted disease. This is a comforting thought. Maybe I do not want to raise my kids in this environment. What is cool about this is every state in the US is required by law to tell their state board of health about anyone diagnosed with it. They are trying to help people and help them realize what they have so that they can control the spread and limit who gets it. Some of the symptoms of gonorrhea sound completely disgusting.

#2 on the list with 9,456 reported cases is coccidioidomycosis, or valley fever

This was probably the coolest thing that I read about because it pertained specifically to the desert regions, aka Arizona. This communicable disease has the power to sweep through and do some major damage, although typically and most common it just does the normal cold and flu-like symptoms. I learned that sometimes with severe cases they have to do testing that requires a bone marrow biopsy. That sounds less than fun.

#1 on the list with 15,616 reported cases is chlamydia

The number one most common communicable disease in my homeland is the sexually transmitted disease known as chlamydia. I think it is very interesting that I did not know this, but not surprising as I have lived my life according to the church and raised in a home where my parents were stalwart. Chlamydia has some of the same symptoms as gonorrhea, although in women they see that one in three have symptoms. The best news about all of this is that it is treatable with antibiotics.